Softleaf Indian paintbrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Softleaf Indian paintbrush |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Castilleja
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| Species: |
mollis
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Castilleja mollis is a special plant known as the softleaf Indian paintbrush. It is a type of Indian paintbrush flower. This plant grows only in the Channel Islands of California. Right now, you can only find it on Santa Rosa Island. It used to be on San Miguel Island, but no one has seen it there since 1938. This plant lives in the coastal sage scrub areas. It likes the windy sand dunes and bluffs near the coast.
Contents
What is Softleaf Indian Paintbrush?
How Does It Look?
This wildflower is a perennial herb. This means it is a plant that lives for more than two years. It has many branches that spread out. These branches can grow up to about 40 centimeters (about 16 inches) long. The plant is covered in soft, woolly hairs. These hairs can sometimes be sticky. They give the plant a gray-green color. Its leaves are small, about 1 to 3 centimeters long, and shaped like an oval.
The top part of the plant, called the inflorescence, can be up to 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) long. This part holds the flowers. It is made of thick, green or yellow-green bracts. Bracts are like small, leaf-like parts near the flowers. Between these bracts, you can see the pale to bright yellow flowers. These flowers are shaped like small pouches.
How Does It Get Food?
Like other Castilleja plants, the softleaf Indian paintbrush is a hemiparasitic plant. This means it gets some of its food and water from other plants. It does this by attaching its roots to the roots of other plants. This helps it take in nutrients and water. The plant it usually connects to is called Menzies' goldenbush (Isocoma menziesii).
The softleaf Indian paintbrush is a federally listed endangered species. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever.
Why Is Softleaf Indian Paintbrush Endangered?
There are only two known groups of this plant left on Santa Rosa Island. It has become rare because its home, or habitat, has been damaged. A big reason for this damage was from animals like cattle, elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti), and deer (Odocoileus hemionus). These animals are called ungulates. They walked on the soil, making it hard and unhealthy. Deer also sometimes used the plant patches as places to rest.
Other Threats to the Plant
New plant species that do not belong there have also grown in the area. These new plants can take over the space where the paintbrush grows. For example, a plant called ice plant is a problem. Most of the cattle and other non-native animals have been removed. However, many of these unwanted weeds are still there.
The softleaf Indian paintbrush also needs Menzies' goldenbush to survive. But the goldenbush has also become less common. Its habitat has become fragmented, meaning it is broken into smaller pieces. Also, new types of grasses stop the small Castilleja plants from connecting to the goldenbush roots. These connections are called haustoria.
What's Being Done to Help?
This Castilleja plant might sometimes hybridize with another plant called Castilleja affinis. This means they can mix their genes.
In 2008, experts looked at the plant's status. They found that the plant has grown back a bit since the animals were removed. But it is still very vulnerable. Because of this, it will stay on the endangered list for now. More work is needed to protect it.
